


What is Love?

by Gleaminginthespotlight



Category: New Girl
Genre: Cuties, F/M, I Love You, Stolen Moments, pure fluff, what is love?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28773867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gleaminginthespotlight/pseuds/Gleaminginthespotlight
Summary: Is it a symphony of melodramatic composers trying to win their way to the audiences? What about poets trying to convey how they feel despite not knowing if anyone would ever read their work.Is love wanting to build a blanket fort with someone, hold their hand close to yours, and tell them every secret you've ever wanted to be told? Is it cherry lipped summer days and bright blue eyes that shine more than anything else? That might be love to others. To Jessica Day though it's something more personal.also known as Moments where Nick Miller and Jessica Day knew they loved the other.
Relationships: Jessica Day/Nick Miller
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	1. Love is ...

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to write this or something like this for a while, when I finally sat down to do so this idea just flooded through my veins and I wrote it down. This was written at three am and finished at three-thirty. Take that as you will. But enjoy :)

What is love?

Is it when you can feel your heartbeat softly humming a song in the world around you. 

**_Ba dum ba dum ba dum_ **

Is it a symphony of melodramatic composers trying to win their way to the audiences? What about poets trying to convey how they feel despite not knowing if anyone would ever read their work. 

Is love wanting to build a blanket fort with someone, hold their hand close to yours, and tell them every secret you've ever wanted to be told? Is it cherry lipped summer days and bright blue eyes that shine more than anything else? That might be love to others. To Jessica Day though it's something more personal.

It's the flavor of rich whiskey on the cheek of your love as he had spilled some on his face earlier that evening. The cut on his leg after crashing a bike after going on a hike with you. It's tight-knit scarves you aren't sure why he wears them, it's much too hot. Yet it sits closely on his neck. It's fights out in the hallways because he wasn't sure how to express his feelings that lead to your first "I love you." 

_ "I love you! Okay, Day." He yelled out and he was being so open so honest and ready. She looked at him. Her own bright eyes looking relieved, but in a way from the way he acted around her. She knew it was to be true. He loved her. And there was nothing else to say to that.  _

_ "...I love you too Miller." She said a small smile bringing it's way to her face. He held her in his arms in a large hug and she could smell the dollar store laundry detergent he used. Schmidt hated it. But she loved it. It was familiar and was  _ **_his._ ** _ There was nothing else to it.  _

It's getting to meet his sisters as they tell you stories of his failed experiences in the football teams at schools. Those stories would make you laugh more than anything else, because they felt so personal. These stories made his cheeks grow red and she never wanted him to lose the fire that often filled him. 

She sang alone in the car before she met him. It was always long drives where she would find herself belting them out. She would sit there and turn the radio up blasting the songs. And didn't care who heard them. Because nobody would. She was alone...just as she had seemed to be. Then he came along. And though he wasn't a fan of singing in the car. Whenever she would get excited about a song coming on, she could catch him slowly turning it up. So she could hear what she was singing. 

_ "Haters gonna hate hate hate hate baby shake it off shake it off — Nick what are you doing?" She asked, a little offended he was turning down Taylor Swift. This woman was a goddess for Christ's sake. _

_ "I don't want to hear Taylor." He offers and she took offense as a long time Swiftie."I'd much rather hear your voice." He was never a romantic. But at this moment she is entirely sure this is what those hallmark movies meant when it comes to love.  _

_ So the radio was turned down and her voice carried through the small car, the entire ride. _

He didn't act annoyed by the tune of her voice drifting through the shower in the morning. And often when she walked out of the shower. He would be sitting on the bed and offer a light smile. One that was so small that she would have missed it.

She didn't miss it though. 

She saw it all.

Saw his screen when he played music. Trying to learn the words to all the songs she knew just in case. Knew the entirety of the 1989 discography and which songs could make her cry. So he would skip them so her makeup wouldn't smudge. She would watch as wonder filled her own body listening to his commentary on the music. Because even though he didn't have the best things to say about every song. 22 was a bop and he damn well knew it. 

She loved his way of letting her know she was loved. Through the little moments here and there. How he didn't care if the cities they traveled to knew his name. He wasn't big on the idea of world fame and making an impact on people. She wanted to see the world and wanted to see everything and all the beauty in it. She loved the idea of wander and she constantly found herself enchanted to be around him. She wondered what it would be like to be adored by people someone as greatly as she had seen in the movies. What it would be like to know someone so truly and intimately. She knew him though. And in the same way he knew her. 

In her life it had always been  _ Right person. Wrong time.  _ A solid note that repeated its way through her head. There was Jimmy Newton who felt like he was who she would marry. She didn't. They broke up three weeks later. There was Chad Connoway. Who didn't even know her name. Yet she felt like happily ever after was within reach. Maybe Nick Miller was the right person for her. At that moment she needed to work on being Jessica Day though. The Jess with bright eyed curiously at everything around her. The Jess that took adventure in her step and summer in her stride. And Nick Miller stayed when autumn came despite others who were terrified for the winter. 

There was the way he was never afraid to be tough when her when she needed to hear something. But at the same time. He was her biggest comfort when she received bad news. He would be there with a hug. Wrapping his arms around her, and he didn't stop at any cost to make her feel wanted again. 

_ She wasn't sure what had been her breaking point of that day. It just felt as if nothing was going right. Things were disastrous and she wanted nothing more than to stay in bed for the rest of the day. She sat up from her blanket nest when she heard a knock on the door. It started subtle but she knew he was there. Then he spoke —. _

_ "Do you need to talk about it  _ **_kid_ ** _?" He asked her as she sat on her bed in her room. She looked to the floor. "I know you're not okay. But I'm not going to press the matter." He offered. She walked over to the door. Opening it as he was finishing his commentary of "I'll be here if you need me, okay  _ **_ki—_ ** _ " those last words didn't get out of his mouth before she was crashed into him. Holding him tightly. She didn't want to let him go.  _

_ 'say you won't let go. Please.' she mentally begged.  _

There was the way he called her kid. The way her eyes would flutter every single time. And the way she felt as if things could never get better. It was like a secret message being told between the two of them where only they knew it. The way her blue eyes would put those California day skies to shame. And the way his brown ones would move mountains if they tried hard enough. She wished he could see how loved he was. If he saw himself the way she saw him. He would never doubt how loved he was.

There was the way he told stories. It would be like campfires would roar every time and sparks would fly. Like everything would come to life. He was meant to be a writer. And you knew he was doing perfect things. Ink spilling on his hands and off his tongue every time he spoke. 

_ "So my mom pushed me up the hill and told me she was holding on. I was riding my bike. I was going , I kept going and then next thing I knew my head was stuck in a squirrels nest and the little guy looked like he was about to kill me." He told her and she felt your body free, it was filled with laughter with light. And all of her wanted to stay this way forever.  _

_ "So that's why you're afraid of squirrels?" She offered, she had known this before from their times dating. He had talked about them and how their little eyes would flare up holes in his entire body. She had her own fears but he was helping her through them. Like her fear of the doctors. And the fear they somehow both shared of the dark and the things that crept in it. It was easy to be afraid of the things hidden in the dark because she didn't know they existed. As she got older though it was easy to become more adventurous and open.  _

There was something in the way he would roll his eyes that would take her to a better time. And how the two of them could go from ignoring one another in the morning. To the other waking up in the other's bed the next day. The sun streaming in realizing today was another day to start again. He traced stars on her back as she would lay still, and she wanted nothing more to hear the soliloquy of an astronaut dazzling in their own lonely solar system. 

Maybe then again there was the fact he was just him. He was fire blazing its way through everything he touched. Icarus flying too close to the sun wouldn't have the same impact as Nick Miller. There was the way you were a white wall and he was a sharpie, marking you wherever he touched. There was the way you fell in love in all he did. 

That's why everything came so easily for her. Because everything seemed simpler when it came to Nick. Both of them had been in different times in their lives. She had always been so ahead of the curve that the curve found itself moving into a sphere. He saw everything as a straight line. Moving forward as long as he did. And everything came easy. So love should too? 

_**So what is Love?** _

Love is Shake it Off blasting in cars.

It's laundry store laundry detergent

Not letting go from hugs

Squirrel attack stories. 

And above all else

Nick Miller. 

**_That is love._ **


	2. What is Hope?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was the way she would always hold a bright yellow umbrella when it would rain, just in case they separated from each other, he could always see exactly where she was from the bright sunshine that shone from where she was. There was the way she would always eat her gummy bear's heads first, just so they wouldn't feel pain. There was the way she would always do her best to show all the animals in the shelters the same amount of love. Simply because she didn't want any of the animals to feel left out. She loved the way their eyes would brighten at the sign of what she was doing. He loved it. He loved her.

**_What is hope?_ **

Some philosophers would give a cheesy answer about how it's “faith that the sun will rise every morning” despite the darkness of the sky bringing you into an abyss that makes you wonder when goodness will ever show its face again. Hope is knowing something good is going to come, an invisible string of sorts bringing you closer and closer to where you need to be, and in the long run it's time after time for the wrong person and even worse, the right person but the wrong time. It's when you had a speech prepared for what you wanted to say and instead you're sitting there absolutely speechless. You're sure something good is going to happen despite being a cynic for the majority of your life. 

Is hope not understanding how something works but doing it anyway, because you have a feeling it'll be good? Is it the smell of cake roaring through the house at seven am because someone made him a cake...and truth be told he hoped they remembered even if he hated today.

He had never been sure of what hope was, mostly because it wasn't something he had seen. But there are a lot of firsts in life as you are learning. And one of those firsts comes in the form of a blue eyed hurricane who puts Chicago summer days to shame. It's someone with brown hair that tangles perfectly around his fingers as you're laying on the couch on a warm summer day. 

_ “It's HOT.” she complains and sprawls herself against the other end of the couch. He looked down at her and offered a roll of the eyes fondly. She was ridiculous. But as was he, so it made the two of them perfect together.  _

_ A light chuckle escaped his throat as he looked down at her. “And i'm sure complaining about it would do you wonders.” he speaks, twirling a small curl in his fingers as theyre sitting there. The air conditioning in the loft had broken down a few days before, and it so just happens it was the hottest week of the year when it happened. He knows he shouldn't be so surprised the thing had broken down before, plenty of times. But usually it was the heater during winter. And living in the area they did, it wasn't exactly a concern for them at that time. This though, the 107 degree heat was the worst.  _

_ “Well it's all I can do.” she pouted and reached for her cup, taking a sip of the water in the glass. “I’m going to go get more ice for my water. Do you want anything?” she asked and he shook his head.  _

_ He was on the couch for a moment of silence, but he swore he could hear Jessica Day’s thoughts from where he was nested uncomfortably where he layed. “Miller, come here.” she offered, and he made his way over to where she was. “This is the perfect temperature.” she spoke and he nodded in agreement.  _

_ “So are we just going to stand in front of the freezer?” he asked a bit unsure.  _

_ She smiled, a grin filled with mischief lining her features “no, we’re going to dance.”  _

_ He raised a brow, but he found himself, his arms wrapped closely around Jessica Day as she stood against his chest. Standing on her tallest tiptoes and he was sure she was shining, not just for him. But she was radiant and bright and he couldn't believe she was his and he was even the smallest piece of her life.  _

Hope is seeing her time after time and still getting the feelings of tingles throughout his body. Because there is something about her that makes him want to be a better person. He had been struggling and he would admit that. He wasn't perfect and again he would admit to it. He struggled with knowing exactly how to better himself. But she saw an entire world inside him. And he didn't want to betray that flicker of light. 

Was hope peppermint chapstick flavoured kisses as she holds your hand tightly in the back of a taxi?

_ Nick wasn't sure what convinced him to attend the New Years Eve party for Winston. It was hosted at some club downtown and it had an overall snobby air to it. It made him feel all gross and weird being just nearby it.  _

_ "Hey, I can tell you're uncomfortable…" she offered him and he chuckled lightly as to say 'is it that obvious?' It was and she could notice. That seemed to be a magical part to him, that no matter what happened, they were able to read one another's mind. They would be able to be there for each other. “Do you want to head out of here?” she asked and he looked over to her. _

_ “Only if you want to.” he commented, she was always more social than he had been, he didn't want her to do something if she truly wanted to stay.  _

_ “Come on Miller, lets get out of here.” she reached out her hand and they walked back to the loft, Nicks extra jacket around her shoulders tightly. She deserved someone who wanted to spend everyday with her, the good and the bad, and even the ones where they made mistakes. If he could, he would be that for her.  _

There was the way she would always hold a bright yellow umbrella when it would rain, just in case they separated from each other, he could always see exactly where she was from the bright sunshine that shone from where she was. There was the way she would always eat her gummy bear's heads first, just so they wouldn't feel pain. There was the way she would always do her best to show all the animals in the shelters the same amount of love. Simply because she didn't want any of the animals to feel left out. She loved the way their eyes would brighten at the sign of what she was doing. He loved it. He loved her. 

_ “Jess I don't think they'll notice if you don't give every single one of them a toy.” he commented as they looked through each individual toy at the pet store. “We have enough.” he said, running a hand through his hair.  _

_ “No they’ll notice. Plus they all deserve the best.” she said, grabbing a rope toy and throwing it into a shopping basket. Several hundred dollars later and they were inside the shelter. Jess going into the kennel to pet them before setting down a toy. She always had a big heart. And it was one of the things he loved about her the most. The way her blue eyes would be filled with fascination and wonder no matter what. There was so many things, but really it was who she was.  _

And maybe all of these reasons, the ones that built more and more and the ones that stayed the same were the reasons Nick knew that it was time to propose to her. “So Jessica Day, I love you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?” he practiced into the mirror. Looking at his reflection, his hands were shaky and yet in some way he felt like this would be the start to something new and entirely beautiful. 

God, did he hope she would say yes.

**_Hope. what a funny thing._ **

Because to him, hope was Jessica Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a shorter chapter, but I hope nonetheless you still enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it. You can find me on Tumblr @gleaminginthespotlight. So much love from me to you :) - JJ

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this. I know I loved writing it, so fingers crossed everyone else is as excited for more to come as I am for writing this. Reminder I always love new friends, and you can find me on Tumblr at Gleaminginthespotlight !! :) Thanks!! - JJ


End file.
